Tag Archives: babolat tennis bags

Road trips are always an adventure; you start out with a plan but there are always some detours along the way. This Christmas, my husband, my brother-in-law and I decided to go to Texas to visit their side of the family. Rather than paying the high plane ticket prices that come with flying in the holiday season, we decided to rent a car and drive to Austin, Texas and, of course, we made a few stops along the way.

The first problem we ran into, however, was the size of the rental car. We thought the mid-size would be big enough to fit the three of us, our 85 pound Labrador retriever, our luggage and all the presents for the family. The mid-size, although great for gas mileage, was a tight squeeze. We had to leave some of our stuff behind but thanks to my Babolat tennis bag, I was able to take all of necessities along with me. I was able to fit 2 pairs of shoes, my makeup bag, toiletries, jacket, sweatshirt, gloves, hair straightener (because I never travel without it) and my tennis racquet, just in case I needed to teach the in-laws a thing or two about how to win a match. I even managed a few snacks, a jug of water and small bag of dog food for Dakota.

Our foggy view of the snowy Grand Canyon.

We started off leaving our home in San Diego, California at midnight and decided to go four hours out of the way to the Grand Canyon. When we got there, although it was a beautiful site, there was too much fog to see very far down. Disappointed and frustrated that we added all that time on to our already 20 hour drive, we continued on our journey.

After another 6 hours of driving we stopped at a small town called Springerville in Arizona to stay overnight at my step-grandma`s house. The next morning we continued on our way to Carlsbad, New Mexico and stopped to hike through the Carlsbad Caverns, 750 feet underground.

I was thankful to have my Babolat bag with me because I needed something that I could carry like a backpack during the hike. I packed water bottles for all three of us, my camera and our sweatshirts because when you are that far underground, it gets pretty chilly!ut of the way to the Grand Canyon. When we got there, although it was a beautiful site, there was too much fog to see very far down. Disappointed and frustrated that we added all that time on to our already 20 hour drive, we continued on our journey.

Stalagmites and Stalactites at the Carlsbad Caverns, NM

After our hike through the caverns we were on the road again. Another 10 hours to Austin, Texas, our final destination. We arrived at my in-laws house around 1 am. The next morning we got up and explored the town, again, thankful that I brought my tennis bag with me as we walked everywhere from the capital building to a small café probably about a mile away.

Overall, the road trip was exciting and full of adventure; although, I have to say I am not looking forward to the 20 hour drive home but at least I will have my trusty bag to keep all my belongings safe and organized for the long trip back.

You will typically see Rafael Nadal looking good on the tennis court dressed in his Nike clothes and shoes with one of his Babolat tennis bags hanging on his shoulder; however, Rafael Nadal not only looks good during his matches with his aggressive style, but off the court as well.

When Rafael Nadal was younger he was actually a very promising soccer player. He was trained by one of his uncles until another uncle, Toni Nadal, a former tennis pro, recognized his skill as a tennis player. Not wanting his academic career to suffer, Rafael`s father made him choose between the two sports; the choice for Nadal was obvious.

In addition to being blessed with tremendous athletic ability, Nadal is blessed with the face and the body of a model. In2011, “Rafa” replaced Cristiano Ronaldo as the new face of Armani Underwear and Jeans; the first tennis player ever endorsed by the brand who called Nadal “… ideal as he represents a healthy and positive model for youngsters.”

Even as a dancing Claymation figure, Nadal keeps his sexy appeal! As a global ambassador for Kia Motors, Nadal appeared in a comedic Kia commercial as himself but in clay form in a tournament against what appeared to be an alien.

What was most shocking to me was Nadal`s appearance is a music video. Shakira, a popular Colombian singer-songwriter, chose Rafael Nadal to appear as her love interest in the video for her song “Gypsy.” Shakira said that she chose the tennis pro because she felt as though he was someone she had a connection with. “I thought that maybe I needed someone I could in some way identify with. And Rafael Nadal is a person who has been totally committed to his career since he was very young. Since he was 17, I believe.”

As you can see, Rafael Nadal or “the king of clay” as he is sometimes called, is more than just a tennis player. We typically see him in his usual attire with his racquet, headband, Nike clothes and his signature Babolat tennis bag, but the soccer player turned tennis pro has taken his natural athletic ability and striking good looks to become a global sensation.